Global Courant 2023-05-13 15:00:40
Although it takes place on British soil, a concerted effort has been made to ensure that Ukrainian elements are noticeable throughout.
One of the presenters, Julia Sanina, is Ukrainian and beautiful pictures of her homeland will be prominently featured during Saturday’s grand finale.
“The most interesting thing for us creatively was the relationship with Ukraine,” Claire McColgan, Liverpool’s cultural director, said in an interview on Wednesday. show well.
She said she hoped the art and culture on display in the city would allow people “to cry something and see something very beautiful and moving and shocking, but then turn the corner and laughing at something that’s just really joyful.”
Across Liverpool, bars and nightclubs have temporarily become Eurovision themed sites, hoping to attract fans to discuss their favorite entries and debate who will win.
Some have hosted performances by current and past acts and the playlists have rotated heavily on the Eurovision Song Contest.
Long-term attendees wear T-shirts from past competitions, while others dress up as their favorite acts. This year, a fan club hired a train from London to Liverpool for die-hard supporters who performed their favorite songs on the 2½ hour journey north of the British capital.
“Liverpool surpasses everything,” said McColgan. “You know, it’s kind of a big party town.”
Ukraine, as the previous winner, automatically advanced to the final, along with the ‘big five’, consisting of the UK, France, Germany, Spain and Italy, who receive a free pass due to the financial contribution they make to the competition.
Another 31 competed in two semifinals on Tuesday and Thursday, with 10 advancing to the final.
